Authenticated container access

• Main Authors: Patrick J. O'Sullivan, Antonios Mygiakis, Georgia Kokona Tsiochantari, Gerasimos Kouloumpis, Konstantinos Loupos
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 16.02.2022
• Subjects: ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDEDFOR ELSEWHERE; CALCULATING; CHECKING-DEVICES; COMPUTING; COUNTING; DATA PROCESSING SYSTEMS OR METHODS, SPECIALLY ADAPTED FORADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL, SUPERVISORYOR FORECASTING PURPOSES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; PHYSICS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE,COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL, SUPERVISORY OR FORECASTINGPURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS

A method of the present application concerns the authenticated access to containers in a Physical Internet (PI) supply chain, where the secured routing of freight is dynamically changeable. The method includes writing both the next node 120 and the destination node 120e in an origin token 130 along with the identification of an authorised individual enabled to access the shipping container, and then both storing the origin token in a computing device 110 affixed to the shipping container 100 and also transmitting the origin token to a computer at the next node. A request to access the shipping container is later received in the computing device and the token extracted from the request. The tokens are compared and access to the shipping container permitted on condition that an identification value in the extracted token matches the identification of the authorized individual in the origin token. The method may optionally include a threshold distance to a geographic location and/or a deadline for access to the container.